Fluid-driven motor.



R. B. ROTHM'AN FLUID DRIVEN MOTOR lqgfip ygso APPLICATION mp0 AUG-3.1916. ?a)tened NOV. 13,1917

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Q In F S unuo o O o N 0 0 in m I. I I PX g W WITNESSES .lNl/ENTOR Arm/Mrs 3.3. BOWMAN.

Fatented NOV. 13, 191?.

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INVENTOR evXRRommm A ITORNEYS N FTQE.

ROBERT R. BOTI-IMAN, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUID-DRIVEN MOTOR.

Application filed August 1, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT E. Ro'ri-mmn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittslnu'gh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Fluid-Drivenvdotor, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a fluid-driven motor, operable by a water current, by wave motion, or by an air current, the motor having a frame mounted for turning movement and a blade carried by the frame to receive the force of the current to turn the frame on its axis, the blade being slidable in the frame to reduce the resistance to the blade as it leaves the water. The invention is charac terized by a blade arranged to slide back and forth in the revoluble frame from one end to the other thereof, across the axis of rotation of the frame, to alternately be positioned at the opposite ends of the frame, whereby to receive the full force of the current without liability of counter-acting force being exerted by the current or wave at the opposite ends of the frame. Also, the arrangement is such that substantially the whole effective area of the blade is submerged when the blade is subjected to the actuating force.

Means is provided to give the rearward sliding movement to the blade and the frame as the frame 1OVS forwardly under the influence of the current.

The invention will be particularly explained in the specific description following.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is an elevation of a motor embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section; 3

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal section on an enlarged scale.

In constructing a practical embodiment of my invention any suitable supporting means is provided. For the purpose of illustration, I have shown a frame including standards or bars 10 on a base 11, and braced by oblique braces 10. The support provides bearings 12 for shafts or trunnions 13 from which power is taken in any suitable manner, as for example, through the medium of a pulley 14.

To the trunnions 13 or equivalent shaft Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1917.

Serial No. 112,511.

members, a frame 15 is secured centrally, so that the frame may have revoluble movement. The frame includes side bars connected by end bars 16. In the frame 15 a blade 17 is slidably fitted, there being shown for the purpose, rollers 18 turning in brackets 19, secured to said blade at the ends, said rollers moving in channels 20 in the sides of the frame.

The arrangement is such that the blade 17 may move in the frame 15 from one end to the other across the axis of rotation of the frame. In order to give sliding movement to the blade as the said blade and frame move forwardly under the force of fluid current or wave motion, suitable co-acting members are provided on the blade and on a relatively fixed member. As one means for the purpose, there is illustrated lateral arms 21 secured to the blade 17 by brackets the outer ends of the arms extendin beyond the frame 15 and provided with friction rollers 23 which travel in curved guides or trips fixed to the standards 10 or other rigid part. In the present example, the curved trips 24. are secured to the standards 10 by brackets 25.

WVith the described construction, the frame is so mounted that an end thereof may be immersed in a stream for example, or otherwise disposed for the blade 17 to receive a fluid actuating force. As the current strikes the blade 17 it will move the same forwardly causing the frame 15 to turn on its axis, so that the rollers 23, or equivalent members of the blade, will be carried against the curved trips or guides 24;, which will cause the blade to move rearwardly in the frame. The continued forward movement will eventually bring the blade 17 and frame to a horizontal position. The momentum tends to invert the frame so that the blade 17 will tend to gravitate to the opposite end of the frame crossing the axis thereof. In practice, I contemplate mounting two or more of the frames on a shaft, there being indicated a fragment of a second frame in Fig. 1, and the plurality of frames will be at such angles as to insure that one will have an end thereof immersed in the water for the end of the blade to receive the actuating force of the current. By providing a blade arranged to slide in the frame across the axis thereof from one end to the other, when that end of the frame carrying the blade enters the water, a wave, for example, striking the blade will be effective only at one end of the frame, there being no surface at the opposite end of the frame on which a counteracting pressure of the wave might be exerted.

At each end of the frame I provide a suitable spring 26, here shown as a bowed spring, to cushion the impact of the blade in moving toward the end of the frame.

I wish to state in conclusion that although the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A motor of the class described including a support, a frame revolubly mounted between its ends in said support, a blade disposed transversely in the frame to receive the force of the motor fluid, said blade being slidable in the frame across the axis thereof from end to end of the frame, and means to cause a rearward sliding movement of the blade in the frame as the frame and blade are turned forwardly, the blade being movable alternately to each end of the frame, and out of engagement with the said means, to lie below the said axis of rotation as the frame is successively inverted.

2. A motor of the class described including a support, a frame revolubly mounted between its ends in said support, a blade disposed transversely in the frame to receive the force of the motor fluid, said blade being slidable in the frame across the axis thereof from end to end of the frame, arms on the blade at the sides thereof, and fixed curved trips on the support in the path of movement of the arms to cause a rearward sliding movement of the blade in the frame as the blade and frame are moved forwardly, the blade being movable alternately to each end of the frame, and out of engagement with the said curved trips, to gravitate to a position below the said axis of rotation of the frame as the frame is successively inverted.

ROBERT E. ROTHMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

